Five-star Banpo, Seocho, Seoul
JW Marriott Hotel Seoul
Thirty-three floors above the Express Bus Terminal in Banpo, joined to the Shinsegae department store and three subway lines.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Opened
- September 2000, refitted 2018
- Floors
- 33, with reception on the 8th
- Location
- Linked to Shinsegae and three subway lines
- From the airport
- About 40 minutes from Gimpo, our estimate
The hotel
Marriott's first luxury hotel in Korea.
The hotel opened on 1 September 2000 on top of the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Banpo, south of the river, as Marriott's first luxury hotel in Korea. Builders found hot spring water while digging the foundations, and the sauna still runs on it. The building connects directly to the Shinsegae department store and three lines of the subway, along with a duty-free shop.
In 2018 the hotel closed for eight months. Bruno Moinard of 4BI redid the public spaces, Olson Kundig brought in natural materials, and the Korean firm Kesson redesigned the rooms in grey and taupe, with a wall of photographs by Seungsang Park. The refit left 32 suites and two penthouses on more than one level, and the Japanese room Tamayura was given to Casappo & Associates.
- Hot spring sauna The sauna draws on a hot spring found during the building works.
- Fitness club Three floors with an 85-metre jogging track, indoor golf, squash, basketball, a swimming pool and a scuba diving pool.
- The Margaux Grill Steaks and seafood with a cellar of about 1,400 wines, and tables outside in the JW Garden in fine weather.
Dining
Steak, kaiseki and a buffet.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.
- The Margaux Grill Steakhouse About 1,400 wines
- Tamayura Japanese Kaiseki, sushi omakase and teppanyaki
- Flavors International buffet Live cooking stations, 2nd floor
- The Lounge Afternoon tea 8th floor
- Mobo Bar Cocktails and wine Korean ingredients in the drinks
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon. Reception is on the 8th floor.
- Pets Not accepted, except service animals.
- Shopping The Shinsegae department store connects directly to the hotel.
Getting there
Flying to Seoul.
Gimpo, with its business aviation centre for private jets, is about 40 minutes away by car, our estimate. Long-haul flights land at Incheon International, about 70 minutes from Banpo by our estimate.
- Shanghai 1 h 30
- Tokyo 1 h 55
- Hong Kong 3 h 05
- Singapore 6 h 25 long-range jet
- London 12 h 05 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Is the sauna at JW Marriott Seoul fed by a hot spring?
- Yes. Hot spring water was found during construction, and the sauna uses it.
- Can I walk from the hotel to the subway?
- Yes. The hotel links directly to three subway lines and to the Shinsegae department store.
- Which airport suits a private jet?
- Gimpo, which has a business aviation centre with its own customs and immigration. It is about 40 minutes from the hotel by our estimate.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Seoul?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Seoul, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Seoul
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Four Seasons Hotel Seoul Rooms that look straight onto the palace grounds, Yu Yuan with one star, and two Keys since 2026.
- SIGNIEL Seoul High in the 101-storey Lotte World Tower, with Bicena and its star on the 81st floor.
- The Shilla Seoul On the slopes of Namsan among gardens, with La Yeon and its two stars on the 23rd floor.
- Fairmont Ambassador Seoul A marble staircase in the lobby, the Han River and The Hyundai Seoul close by.
- Josun Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Seoul Gangnam Art Deco lines south of the river, and Eatanic Garden with one star in the building.
- Park Hyatt Seoul Ten rooms to a floor across 24 storeys opposite COEX, with the lobby at the very top.
- Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul Rooms and suites on the side of Namsan, most of them with their own relaxation pool.
- Conrad Seoul Opened in 2012 inside the IFC complex, with 434 rooms and a 25-metre indoor pool.
- Grand Hyatt Seoul Below Namsan since 1978, with 615 rooms, an ice rink and JJ Mahoney's, a club since 1988.
- The Grand Lotte Seoul The former Lotte Hotel Seoul took this name in August 2026 after a refit of its main tower; Pierre Gagnaire cooks on the 35th floor of the Executive Tower.
- The Westin Josun Seoul Opened in 1914 as the Chosen Hotel on the site of the Hwangudan altar and rebuilt in 1970, it is the oldest hotel still trading in Korea.
- Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Linked to Samseong station and COEX since 1988, with its rooms refitted in 2020.
- Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences Built in 2021 by Seokchon Lake, where some rooms look across the water to the Lotte World Tower.
- Andaz Seoul Gangnam Hyatt's first Andaz in Korea, 241 rooms on the site of an old KT telecom office, open since 2019.
- Grand Walkerhill Seoul A 1963 resort hotel on the eastern edge of the city, its rooms facing the Han River or Achasan.
- Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery Korea's first MGallery, opened in 2022 with 196 rooms looking over the Han River to Bamseom, and an infinity pool facing the water.
- Vista Walkerhill Seoul Built in 2004 as Asia's first W hotel and renamed in 2017, it has an indoor pool above the Han River and an 800-year-old olive tree in the lobby.
- Mondrian Seoul Itaewon The Capital Hotel of 1988 became the first Mondrian in Asia in 2020; 295 rooms, and a pool and lounge on the fifth floor.
- The Westin Seoul Parnas Opened in 1999 as the InterContinental Seoul COEX and reopened under the Westin name in September 2025, with 564 rooms by Bongeunsa temple.
Staying at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Seoul, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.